The American male population is 1.5 times more likely to die first than women due to heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases, with most dying five years earlier than females. This estimation gets higher as you age, that’s why it pays to know what ailments you’re prone to when you get older to avoid them and live life to the fullest. Early detection can be the difference between a minor health-related bump to a life-threatening crisis. Here are the most common ailments affecting older men:
Arthritis
Arthritis is the leading condition that individuals over 65 years old experience, affecting over 49% of older Americans, decreasing their overall quality of life. Although aging females develop arthritis more than males, men experience arthritis alongside other debilitating conditions like fibromyalgia. Arthritis can discourage many seniors from being active. Still, you need to work with your physician and develop an activity plan to help you maintain optimal health and live the rest of your years pain-free.
Heart Disease
Heart disease can either be hypertension, arrhythmia, bradycardia, etc. However, all forms of the medical condition can lead to severe or fatal complications if left untreated. The CDC deems heart disease to be the number one killer of American adults, with one in three adult men having the condition. Heart disease can result from poor lifestyle choices or hereditary illnesses. Luckily, you can easily fight this by living a healthier lifestyle and having routine checkups with a cardiologist as you get older.
Prostate Cancer
Older men between the ages of 60 and 79 are more prone to developing prostate cancer. This type of cancer happens due to the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in a man’s prostate gland. Although there’s no cure for prostate cancer, men can detect this illness earlier by having an annual prostate exam once they reach 40 years old.
Mental Health Disorders
Over 15% of older adults over the age of 60 have mental health conditions, with the most common ones being depression for seniors. Older men make up over 18% of suicide deaths in America. Fortunately, you can easily beat this by promoting a healthier lifestyle, interacting with those around you, or being part of support groups. It’s also wise to seek psychiatrists or psychologists if you think nothing’s working out for you.
Respiratory Diseases
Older men are more susceptible to developing respiratory diseases, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), due to the higher prevalence of smoking among the male population. COPD is the third leading cause of death among senior men. That’s because it increases the person’s susceptibility to chronic conditions such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
You can fight this by getting regular lung function tests and consuming the right prescribed medications or oxygen by your doctor.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic condition that older men experience, especially as they get older. This illness can result from obesity, an inactive lifestyle, and a bad diet, increasing their body’s insulin resistance, making them prone to countless medical conditions. However, type 2 diabetes doesn’t have a cure, but doctors will usually prescribe metformin to ease its symptoms. You can easily avoid developing type 2 diabetes by incorporating a healthier lifestyle.
Things change for aging individuals drastically, from countless medical laboratory tests to increased checkup frequency. So, take care of yourself and prevent the ailments mentioned from happening to live happier, healthier, and stress-free.
